Marriage? Not so much
by ImaginaryHomeforFriends
Summary: Rose and the Doctor find themselves discussing, of all things, marriage.  A bit of mindless fluff.


It takes the Doctor exactly two minutes and five seconds to realize that one Rose Tyler is no longer in the large ballroom any longer. He would have realized quicker but he was quite distracted trying to extract himself from the intoxicated Princess Zenko. Her being a princess wasn't all that shocking really, this planet was full of self proclaimed royalty.

The Doctor should have reconsidered visiting the upper class of the planet Judden. Though in his defense he hadn't exactly meant to land here, not that he'd admit that out loud anytime soon. It was quite a posh place, and they liked any reason to throw a party so the Doctor and Rose had barely managed to step outside the Tardis before the people of Judden pounced on them and declared they just had to go to a welcoming party. Which was all well and good, except for the before mentioned uppity of the place. Rose was quite adapt at fitting in anywhere, just like the Doctor, but she was still a girl from Powel Estate in London and this whole thing was probably a bit overwhelming for the blonde.

"She went out to the garden," The Doctor turned to an Ambassador, probably one of the few who had actually ever left their home and seen a bit of the universe. She was tall and thin like most of the Judden people, very human looking except for the silver eyes, pointed ears, and two extra arms. Rose had found these differences vastly interesting.

"Thank you," The Doctor said gratefully, sparing a smile to the lovely Ambassador before slipping out a side door and entering the garden. Judden had three moons, two of which were visible and quite big in the sky. One resembled Earth's moon, while the other was twice it's size and a deep orange. The sky was black streaked with purple and twinkling stars, a whole new set of constellations. If he could find Rose he would point out the set that was named after a famous wrestler from a neighboring planet, Rose would like that.

The garden was beautiful, in full bloom with blood red stems and leafs and big green and black flowers that resembled Earths roses and lilies. There was a rather large tree with a bone-white trunk that twisted up, nearly making a letter 'C' as it's black leafs cast over a fountain.

Balancing on the lip of the fountain was a small, blonde girl. In her customary long, white dress and her hair piled expertly on top of her head with little white flowers embedded in it she looked quite otherworldly. Then again, to this planet she was otherworldly.

Rose was balancing on the balls of her feet and suddenly she made a sharp turn and the Doctors hearts clenched in fear but Rose, the gymnast, was quite skilled and graceful as she continued her balancing act. She had no idea that she had gathered an audience.

The Doctor walked carefully over to Rose, not wanting to startle her into falling the three feet into either clear water or solid ground. He was old, over 900, and he was still surprised at just how graceful Rose Tyler was. The most surprising thing was she didn't even seem to realize it, which just made the Doctor all the more in awe with the human girl.

"Doctor!" Rose said happily, turning her body towards him and giving him a smile that warmed him down to his very core. His previous regeneration, still bleeding over the loss of his people, had sometimes gotten so very angry at how Rose Tyler made him feel. He didn't feel as if he should ever be happy again, and here was this girl who simply smiled at him and he suddenly felt lighter. This regeneration, who seemed like he was just made for Rose, had learned to accept how she made him feel and he was very glad for it.

"There's a bunch of people in there throwing a party for you," The Doctor said without any scorn to his tone as he held up a hand. Rose accepted it, even though she didn't need any help with her balance. She used her free hand to bunch up her dress so she could continue to walk on the lip of the fountain, the Doctor walking beside her on the ground, his hand warm and familiar in hers.

"For us you mean." Rose corrected with a grin. It wasn't often she was able to correct the Doctor, though it was more often than the Doctor liked to admit. The Doctor looked down to see white trainers on her feet, and he grinned up at her in amusement. "They gave me shoes, but I wouldn't have been able to run in them, and there's always running to be done." The Doctor glanced down at his own black trainers and couldn't help but agree.

"We make a matching pair." The Doctor announced with a grin, his eyes crinkling in true happiness as Rose turned towards him. The Doctor reached up, placing his hands on her hips and lifted her to the ground with surprising strength.

"We look like we're about to be married," Rose said with a laugh. The Doctor removed his hands from her hips and swallowed down a lump that had suddenly got lodged in his throat.

"What?"

"Me in a white dress, you in a dashin' tux." Rose grinned, her tongue peeking between her teeth. Just like that the lump had disappeared and he was under her spell. "Though it wouldn't go off like a normal one, not you and me."

"No?" The Doctor asks with amusement lacing his voice as Rose looked up at him. He felt a story coming on, and he quite enjoyed Rose's stories.

"Oh of course not, we can't do things normally, don't know how too." The Doctor nodded in agreement. "That's what the trainers are for." She pulled her dress up a little to reveal the pristine white trainers again. She had made the Doctor stop at a store just hours previously before landing on Judden. Traveling with the Doctor wasn't easy on her clothes, things were constantly coming back with holes, burns, tears, rips, melted bits, and sometimes some unnamable slime or goo on them. She was in constant need of a new, good pair of running shoes because they were always getting ruined. Of course the Doctors signature suit, trench coat, and trainers always seemed to come out of these situations without a scratch.

"What are they for exactly?" The Doctor asked, grinning back down at her.

"What they always are, runnin'." Rose knocked her foot lightly against one of his. "See, Doctor, you would run away from your own weddin'. The only way I see you gettin' married is by accident. A big warlord or president of a planet demandin' you get married to his daughter because you've gone and done something like acceptin' a drink from a ceremonial jug without realizin' what it means." Her tongue peeked between her teeth again as she gave him a cheeky grin. The Doctor had, in fact, nearly gotten married for that exact reason two days previously. He hadn't realized it at the time of course, there were so many customs and it had taken him a couple moments too late to realize what he had done.

"That so?" The Doctor asked, pretending like he didn't remember those events at all.

"Yep," Rose answered, purposely popping the 'p' in a mimicry of the Doctor. The action hadn't gone unnoticed by him, judging by the sudden grin that appeared on his face. "So with a bit of jiggery pokery from a very trustful friend, there's a distraction and you're able to run away. You need good shoes for that because despite the fact that this president of the planet is more or less a big glob of orange paste, they move surprisingly fast." The Doctor can't help but laugh at the recount of the story. Rose was a key factor in his escape, and she liked to remind him of that fact every chance she could.

"And what about you Rose Tyler? Ever see yourself getting married?" The Doctor asks and Rose gives him a serious look.

"Nah, too domestic for me." Rose answered finally, her face breaking into another grin. A piece of hair had fallen from the intricate up-do into her face and the Doctor reached up and tucked it behind her ear, causing her grin to widen further. "Been around you for too long, I suppose."

"I don't know about that," The Doctor says, running a hand through his own hair, making it stick up even more. "I can see you agreeing to some lucky bloke who doesn't realize what he's getting himself into. Your mum would be thrilled about that, yeah?" Rose can't help but agree, her mum would probably go ballistic if Rose decided to finally settle down. She couldn't see it happening though, as long as the Doctor wanted her around she would stay with him. "Well," The Doctor said, purposely dragging out the word because he knew it would make Rose smile, and it had just that affect. "She would take over, it'd be all pomps and priss and lots of lace with even more frills. And you, Rose Tyler, would realize what an ordeal this would be. That's why you put on trainers with your wedding dress." The Doctor taps his own foot against Rose's, managing to smear some dirt on the new shoes.

"That so?" Rose asks, mimicking the Doctor once more while she gives him a mock rueful look for messing her shoes.

"Yep!" The Doctor pops the 'p' with a grin as he taps her other shoe to make a matching dirt smear on it. Rose can't help but laugh as she gives him a light push. "So the wedding day comes and you see that the church looks like a giant marshmallow, and you take off because you've got good trainers, and who taught you that?"

"All the aliens who've tried to maim and/or kill us?" Rose asks lightly, pulling her feet back as the Doctor once again tries to tap them with his dirty trainers. She pushes him again but the Doctor picks her up suddenly, swings her around and then places her back on the fountain.

"Oi, don't get cheeky with me Rose Tyler." The Doctor says in mock offense as he offers up his hand again. Rose clasps it with her own and begins to walk again.

"Cheeky, me?" Rose scoffs, turning suddenly and putting her hands on his shoulders to lean in close. "You must have me confused with another Rose Tyler."

"Impossible, only one Rose Tyler, and she's just brilliant." The Doctor grins at the blonde girl, who immediately returns the look.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Rose tosses her arms around the Doctors neck and he gladly swings her around in a hug, laughing the while.

Their moment is broken by a high pitched scream, quickly accompanied by several other screams. The Doctor puts down Rose but they stand close, his hands still on her hips and her hands resting on his shoulder.

"Told ya so." Rose said, nodding down to their feet.

"Ready?" The Doctor asks with a grin, stepping towards the large castle like building and holding out his hand. Rose takes his hand without a second thought as she grins and they both take off running, not away from danger but straight into it, hand in hand. Which is just about better and more solid than any marriage that the Doctor has ever known.


End file.
